Courtly Love In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, was written by an anonymous poet, otherwise known as, the “Gawain Poet” or the “Pearl Poet”. Nothing conclusive is known of the author’s identity or biography. However, the poem was likely written in the mid to late fourteenth century or the 1300s, in northwestern England. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is easily identified as a Medieval romance, do to the poem’s plethora of characteristics of a typical Medieval romance. Although Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has plenty characteristics of a medieval romance, three of these characteristics really stuck out to me, such as; a story of a single knight on a single quest, also the story exists within the constraints similar to a fairy-tale, and lastly the story contains elements of courtly love. The first way Sir Gawain and the Green Knight resembles a typical Medieval romance is that it tells the story of a single knight, Sir Gawain, …show more content…

Courtly love is the relationship between a knight and his lord’s lady, The knight is required to love and respect the lady within the same way which he loves and respects his lord. Gawain must show both Lady Bertalik and Guinevere courtly love. As charged by his position as a knight to Arthur, Gawain must show Guinevere love and respect. In the same way, given Gawain is sheltered at Bertalik’s, he must show Lady Bertalik the same kind of respect and love. “She gave him the gift with great pleasure And begged him, for her sake, to not say a word, And to keep it hidden from her lord.” stated in lines 242-244 in the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. These acts create the greatest challenge for Gawain in finding a balance between chivalry and romantic love for Lady Bertalik. Gawain’s relationship with the lord’s lady is a terrific example of courtly love, an other characteristic of a Medieval

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